24/125. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 2903 — Original Kaaba Structure
The Building Of The Kabah
Original Kaaba Structure Hadith: Hijr, Doors, and Ibrahim’s Foundation
Sunan an-Nasai : 2903
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 2903
أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَلاَّمٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا جَرِيرُ بْنُ حَازِمٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ رُومَانَ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ لَهَا " يَا عَائِشَةُ لَوْلاَ أَنَّ قَوْمَكِ حَدِيثُ عَهْدٍ بِجَاهِلِيَّةٍ لأَمَرْتُ بِالْبَيْتِ فَهُدِمَ فَأَدْخَلْتُ فِيهِ مَا أُخْرِجَ مِنْهُ وَأَلْزَقْتُهُ بِالأَرْضِ وَجَعَلْتُ لَهُ بَابَيْنِ بَابًا شَرْقِيًّا وَبَابًا غَرْبِيًّا فَإِنَّهُمْ قَدْ عَجَزُوا عَنْ بِنَائِهِ فَبَلَغْتُ بِهِ أَسَاسَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ " . قَالَ فَذَلِكَ الَّذِي حَمَلَ ابْنَ الزُّبَيْرِ عَلَى هَدْمِهِ . قَالَ يَزِيدُ وَقَدْ شَهِدْتُ ابْنَ الزُّبَيْرِ حِينَ هَدَمَهُ وَبَنَاهُ وَأَدْخَلَ فِيهِ مِنَ الْحِجْرِ وَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ أَسَاسَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ حِجَارَةً كَأَسْنِمَةِ الإِبِلِ مُتَلاَحِكَةً .
A'isha Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah said to her: "O Aishah, were if not for the fact that your people have recently left Jahiliyyah, I would have commanded that the House be knocked down, and I would have incorporated into it what was left out of it. I would have made its (door) in level with the ground and I would have given it two doors, an eastern door and a western door. For they built it too small, and by doing this, it would have been built on the foundation of Ibrahim, peace be upon him."He (one of the narrators said: "This is what motivated Ibn Az-Zubair to knock it down." Yazid said: "I saw Ibn Az-Zubair when he knocked it down and rebuilt it, and included part of the Hijr in it. And I saw the foundation of Ibrahim, peace be upon him, stones like the humps of camels joined to one another."
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 2903In-book reference : Book 24, Hadith 286English translation : Vol. 3, Book 24, Hadith 2906
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 2903
This original Kaaba structure hadith gives more detail about what the Prophet wanted to do. He told Aishah that, if her people had not recently left Jahiliyyah, he would have ordered the House to be knocked down. He would have included what was left out, made the door level with the ground, and given it two doors: an eastern door and a western door. He connected this plan to the foundation of Ibrahim, peace be upon him. The narration also says this motivated Ibn Az-Zubair to rebuild it, and Yazid described seeing stones of the foundation. The core message is clear: the Prophet knew the better structure, yet he still considered the people’s condition.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet described the Kaaba as having part of it left out of the building.
- He mentioned two ground-level doors, one eastern and one western.
- The foundation of Ibrahim, peace be upon him, is directly named in the narration.
- The text shows a balance between correct action and people’s readiness.
